Businesses hated Windows Vista. It required new drivers, and new security features like User Account Control caused problems with older applications. Computers that shipped before Vista often lacked the RAM and graphics hardware to take full advantage of the new operating system's capabilities. It made extensive changes to how the operating system was customized and deployed. Businesses hated Windows Vista so much that they overwhelmingly chose to stay on Windows XP. Even after these problems were largely resolved, it took a new operating system to get companies to start upgrading.

Windows 7 is a big step up from XP, both in terms of security and features. For businesses who are in the middle of or have already completed Windows 7 migrations, can Windows 8 offer them enough incentive to consider upgrading again, or do its interface changes doom it to share Vista's fate?

New business-oriented features in Windows 8

Back in the days of the Consumer Preview, Microsoft put out a PDF detailing the most pertinent Windows 8 features for small and large businesses (that PDF is still a good resource for the Release Preview and will remain so for the release version of Windows 8, so read up if you’re interested). Some of these have relatively broad appeal for businesses, while others will be more useful for particular niches.

Windows 8's Refresh and Reset could make re-imaging PCs easier, or at least faster.

Of broad interest is the new Reset and Refresh function, which can be used to return a user’s PC to a pristine state without necessarily wiping their data. Using the new recimg command line tool, administrators can capture an image of a system before deployment and store it on the computer’s hard drive or a networked share. This should be useful in both large and small businesses in the event that a user’s computer is damaged by malware, user error, or some other catastrophe.

For businesses that care to develop their own Metro apps, administrators can sideload those applications onto Windows 8 PCs with the same group policy controls used to manage and restrict access to the larger Windows Store. In-house Metro apps don’t need to be submitted to or downloaded from the Windows Store proper, though they will require the use of valid security certificates.

We’ve also got Windows To Go, a Windows 8 Enterprise-only feature which is positioned as an answer of sorts to the Bring Your Own Device phenomenon. This is true at least when it concerns laptops—using a sufficiently large external drive, employees will be able to boot their home desktops and laptops into an IT department-approved load of Windows 8, complete with apps, to get work done. This sounds interesting in theory, though the list of technical restrictions combined with the relatively small number of scenarios in which this functionality would actually be useful will probably keep it a niche feature.

For system administrators, Windows 8 also updates Microsoft’s kit of Windows deployment tools in the form of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). This combines the old Windows AIK and OPK into a single package. Windows 8 clients with compatible hardware will also be able to take advantage of Microsoft’s Hyper-V to more easily use and maintain virtual machines for testing or other purposes.

In addition to its new features, businesses stand to benefit from some of the under-the-hood work done in Windows 8. New features including demonstrably faster boot time, better built-in support for technologies like USB 3.0 and cellular antennas, improved multi-monitor support, and security updates like an improved ASLR implementation and system-wide SmartScreen filter for applications. Most hardware can take advantage of these additions without needing upgrades if it already provides an acceptable Windows 7 experience (though for ideal performance, you should refer to our recommended system requirements guide).

Roadblocks

The same PDF that demonstrated some of Windows 8’s benefits also demonstrates why Windows 8 will have trouble ousting Windows 7: some of Windows 8’s most useful business features (including BitLocker, AppLocker, DirectAccess, and BranchCache) are already supported in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, too. There are many enhancements to be gained by moving from Windows XP to Windows 7. Security enhancements include User Account Control, an improved Windows Firewall, and Address space layout randomization (ASLR). There are improvements to Windows Explorer and most bundled applications, Windows Search, built-in Windows Update, and Aero Snap. Under-the-hood enhancements include completely reworked graphics, network, and audio stacks; better SATA and hardware support; robust 64-bit support; and new management features for administrators. The improvements that come with Windows 8 are both less numerous and less far-reaching.

Windows 7 is stable, and will be in its "mainstream" support phase (meaning that it will receive new features like Internet Explorer and other updates) until 2015. Its "extended" support phase (meaning it will continue to receive security patches) doesn't expire until 2020. The fact of the matter is that PCs in 2012 don’t need Windows 8 the same way PCs in 2009 needed Windows 7.

This will be Windows 8’s biggest problem. Windows 7 brought many security, feature, and manageability enhancements that sold the product as a solid improvement over XP. The fact that both reviewers and customers received it better than Windows Vista made deploying it less of an uphill battle. Windows 7 also benefited from the years of work done on Vista-compatible drivers and applications, meaning that it was stable enough for business deployment basically as soon as it was released—this was a big deal. Many IT administrators wouldn’t even consider past Windows versions before the first service pack was released.

The other elephant in the room is Metro. Without getting into whether Metro is a "good" or a "bad" change for desktop and laptop PCs, one must admit that it is fundamentally different. Thus, it's likely to require "getting used to" at best and extensive retraining at worst.

If you’ve been in IT for a while, you may remember having difficulty upgrading some users from Office 2003 to Office 2007 because of the sheer number of differences between the legacy Office interface and the new Ribbon. Imagine that sort of jarring UI change, except spread throughout every level of the operating system. Even once they’ve reached the Desktop, things like controlling wireless network connections and shutting the computer down are substantially different from before. The real or imagined difficulties in retraining users to use the new Metro interface is by itself enough to give change-averse IT managers pause.

Even that doesn't quite describe the retraining problems that Windows 8 is going to cause. With the Ribbon, Microsoft's stated goal was to replace the legacy menu system with something that made buried features more discoverable and accessible. Retraining would be required, yes, but after that initial hurdle was cleared, users should be able to find and use more advanced features without needing as much help. Metro makes no such promises—its interface has been optimized for touch. While the new Start screen and Metro environment are improvements over the old Start menu in several ways, for desktop users there are many commands that have been changed merely for the sake of change. Burying the "shut down" command in a Charms menu doesn't make it any harder or easier to use, but it does make it different. This sort of difference will generate the most support calls to the helpdesk.

Can it succeed?

Windows 8 could gain a foothold in businesses by coming in on tablets, which would theoretically combine the convenience of the tablet form factor with the Active Directory management features IT admins are used to on desktops and laptops. There are two problems with this: the first is that Windows RT, the ARM-enabled Windows 8 variant that is likely to ship on many Windows tablets, doesn't support Active Directory management in the first place. The second is that tablet and smartphone usage in businesses is increasingly dictated by the users themselves, not the IT Establishment. The BYOD phenomenon has already laid waste to business-focused tablets like Cisco's Cius. Unless Windows 8 tablets generate sufficient consumer interest there's no reason to think that they'll be able to overcome BYOD, either.

It could also be the case that Windows 8 will be installed and deployed on new PCs, while leaving Windows 7 installed on older computers. There are a few reasons why this would be logical (beyond the time that would be saved by leaving older systems alone). First among them: the Trusted Boot feature that most new Windows 8 PCs will use. To get the most out of Trusted Boot you need both UEFI support and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) hardware, and this particular combination of features is currently rare even in high-end business PCs.

Enlarge/ UEFI is a required feature for Windows 8's Secure Boot feature, which should drive more widespread adoption of the standard.

The downside to this approach is that you’ll be stuck supporting at least two different Windows versions, though this may not be a huge issue. Windows 7 and Windows 8 are much more similar under-the-hood than Windows XP and Windows 7, and most drivers, programs, and management tools will work the same way across both operating systems. The user interfaces will still be different, but managing and supporting the systems will be much the same.

The most pressing question for many businesses that are in the middle of or have completed Windows 7 rollouts: does Windows 8 offer enough improvements over Windows 7 to merit testing and installation on existing PCs? This will depend in large part on the size and disposition of your environment, but with Windows 9 due in or around 2015 and Windows 7 slated to receive security patches until early 2020, the answer may well be "no."

Andrew Cunningham
Andrew has a B.A. in Classics from Kenyon College and has over five years of experience in IT. His work has appeared on Charge Shot!!! and AnandTech, and he records a weekly book podcast called Overdue. Twitter@AndrewWrites

140 Reader Comments

What are the odds that Microsoft comes to their senses and disables the Metro UI by default unless it detects that you have a touch screen? The whole thing is just a mess and I can't believe they're going to ship it like it is. Can you even go back to the old UI?

What are the odds that Microsoft comes to their senses and disables the Metro UI by default unless it detects that you have a touch screen? The whole thing is just a mess and I can't believe they're going to ship it like it is. Can you even go back to the old UI?

Change for the sake of change is just stupid.

You should read some articles about Windows 8, and perhaps try it, since you don't seem to familiar with it from this comment.

Businesses are going to skip Win8 not just because of the UI changes, but also because they're just getting around to replacing XP with Win7. Nobody's got the time or money to roll out a new OS every 2-3 years, especially if there's additional user training required.

I've tried WIndows 8 and hate it. The Metro UI is too ... messy. It can get confusing to the end-user especially when they are used to the look of XP, Vista and Win7. It's nice for a tablet or phone, w/o question - but as a primary OS - absolute garbage.

The company I work for won't even consider WIndows 8 yet .... Our hardware won't support the OS, and for good reason. We just started taking over, or replacing, our XP boxes with Windows 7. 8 isn't even worth the money right now.

What are the odds that Microsoft comes to their senses and disables the Metro UI by default unless it detects that you have a touch screen?

Oh good a live one. When you say this what do you imagine it looks like? A big "do you like Metro yes/no" question at the install screen and if you say "no, now get off my lawn" it "disables Metro" which means what?

Touch typing and keyboard shortcuts are far more useful than a OS based on Fisher Price Kindergarten toys.

1) All the keyboard shortcuts in Windows 7 work the same in Windows 82) There's a whole bunch more keyboard shortcuts added to Windows 83) Appstore guidlines mandate full keyboard/mouse support for every app

I like the retro "Fisher Price" slur though. Takes me back to XP, another OS that spend it's entire beta cycle having kneejerkers mindlesslly spout off about "Toy OS". IIRC XP sold alright.

I've been having basically the same thoughts as the author: businesses are not going to bother with Windows 8, for the most part. They may bump to Windows 9, after their users have time to get more used to metro at home and as Microsoft will no doubt sharpen aspects of it in Windows 9, but they will not be early movers. The only possible way I see Windows 8 getting any wide distribution in the enterprise is if the tablet versions take off.

Seeing the backend is the same as Win7 (I don't imagine many businesses had to cope with tampered boot-loaders), the only way businesses will jump on the Win8 bandwagon is for Microsoft to release a Metro Outlook or Powerpoint.

Over the weekend, I installed the new Release Preview onto one of our x86 tablets. This is definitely the environment where Windows 8 is going to shine - bringing the best of the tablet world with the application experience of a desktop. I'll definitely use it on my personal computers once it's released to the public, but I'm not so sure we'll be deploying it to non-tablet computers in the workplace for quite a while.

What are the odds that Microsoft comes to their senses and disables the Metro UI by default unless it detects that you have a touch screen?

Oh good a live one. When you say this what do you imagine it looks like? A big "do you like Metro yes/no" question at the install screen and if you say "no, now get off my lawn" it "disables Metro" which means what?

Even my poor eyesight caught the 'detects that you have a touch screen?' bit.

You seem to be so quick to jump on these negative comments that it appears to be affecting your reading comprehension.

So adoption's likely to be minimal for business and slow for home desktop users who know enough to be able to choose their own OS. That leaves tablets (where adoption is a gamble) and OEM installs. MS almost seems to be trying to leave money on the table with this one.

Paul Hill wrote:

Flawed wrote:

What are the odds that Microsoft comes to their senses and disables the Metro UI by default unless it detects that you have a touch screen?

Oh good a live one. When you say this what do you imagine it looks like? A big "do you like Metro yes/no" question at the install screen and if you say "no, now get off my lawn" it "disables Metro" which means what?

Putting aside your misreading, an option on whether to use metro or not would be no more absurd than the "use classic start menu" option in Vista. "Disables Metro" = "W7 start menu" instead of a start screen, no?

A massive UI redesign will be hell to support for any non-geeks. The enterprise customers are just in the process of moving from XP, IE6, and Office 2003. There's no way they are moving to Metro-ified anything. Even on tablets they would likely prefer something better tested and mature such as Android or iOS. For the enterprise, at least, Win 8 = Vista.

Given that the company I'm currently working for is barely beginning to deploy Windows 7, I frankly doubt they'll even bother to consider Windows 8 at all. By the time they'll finished their migration, I guess some kind of Windows 9 development blog will be around. And that's without considering Windows 8's merits and flaws.

Given that the company I'm currently working for is barely beginning to deploy Windows 7, I frankly doubt they'll even bother to consider Windows 8 at all. By the time they'll finished their migration, I guess some kind of Windows 9 development blog will be around. And that's without considering Windows 8's merits and flaws.

This whole thing reminds me of the tick-tock release that Intel uses for its processor technology - first there is a major architecture redesign, then a couple years later there is no change in the core architecture but they shrink the die. The current Windows OS environment are obviously are different but there are similarities.

Windows Vista was panned by many people (consumers and businesses alike) for a variety of reasons as it introduced a major shift in the UI and had general performance/driver issues on the then-current hardware. Consumers were eventually forced to use it by new computer purchases and small businesses - probably those who didn't know about downgrade rights.

I see this as being the same - but on a grander scale. The HUGE UI shift and a number of other reasons will see the release panned by consumers and business alike. Once time passes and more people are forced to use it you'll see a much better adoption of Windows 9.

There are two certainties that I see in all of this. First, Microsoft can never go back to a non-Metro style interface, that bell can't be unrung as you push people down that path - so I hope they know what they're doing (I hope so). Second, large business and enterprise users will not see Windows 8/9 for years as the change is so jarring that, beyond the usual time-consuming application compatibility process, they would probably hope that their users have some experience with Windows 8 at home. That way they don't have to spend SO much in re-training staff - productivity will suffer either way as not everyone will have upgraded, Apple users would be completely out of the loop and some additional training would be required regardless. We'll see how this all shakes out but I see the tick-tock cycle of Windows adoption continuing for some time.

Also, MS will probably lose some market share to Apple but I'm not getting into that.

Windows 8 is not intended for businesses. Its missing many key features that a business requires. Mostly related to active directory and domain support.

Businesses will stay with Windows 7. Just like businesses stayed with XP.

What features do you think it's missing? Are you mixing up MS's comment about the ARM version of Windows 8 not being able to join domains and expanding that to all Windows 8?

That said, I do think that businesses will largely skip Windows 8, and that's not a bad thing. Windows 7 is very high quality, and is an excellent paradigm for the enterprise currently.

Windows 9 will likely be about the same time that Enterprise will be ready to fully move over to a touch/mobile paradigm. Though, for the best of both worlds, one hopes that enterprise IT supports Windows 8 as a BYOD for tablets and touch laptops as users start adopting them in advance of enterprise moving there.

There are two certainties that I see in all of this. First, Microsoft can never go back to a non-Metro style interface, that bell can't be unrung as you push people down that path - so I hope they know what they're doing (I hope so).

I disagree about going back. All they really need to do is allow Metro apps to run in a window, and be activated from the desktop UI. That would solve a very large part of the UI issues. An alternative, optional start menu would not hurt either.

Even my poor eyesight caught the 'detects that you have a touch screen?' bit.

You seem to be so quick to jump on these negative comments that it appears to be affecting your reading comprehension.

No it's more like I wanted to ignore the heavily retarded ranting to try to figure out how these people "think". You seriously think that "plugging in a touchscreen" should somehow "enable Metro"? That's just hilarious!

Oh goody! I have reached a zen-like state with my Win 7 computer, and can be very productive with it. I see no need to rock the boat. Enterprise hesitation to adopt Win 8 raises my hopes that the Win 7 update life cycle (and associated 3rd party driver update life cycles) will be pushed past 2015, similarly to what happened with XP. So, you keep hesitating, enterprises!

Businesses are going to skip Win8 not just because of the UI changes, but also because they're just getting around to replacing XP with Win7. Nobody's got the time or money to roll out a new OS every 2-3 years, especially if there's additional user training required.

This. We won't be finished our Win7 (and new laptop) deployment until the end of this year. Win8 could be the greatest thing since sliced bread and we wouldn't be migrating to it. I'm not even considering planning another OS migration at least until 2015, when Win7 enters Extended Support.

The question of business adoption has little to do with how "good" and O/S is. It has a lot more to do with technology refresh cycles, end user impact, and ROI. Microsoft knows this. I have said in previous articles about Windows 8 that I think that because of this fact they are using this opportunity to try a radical new UI. Businesses by and large won't switch to Windows 8 because, as others have pointed out, most are just now switching to 7 en masse. You won't see another large refresh for about 5 years, that's just how it works.

As far as end user impact, there are huge changes in Windows 8. While most Ars readers can pick up those changes quickly and run with them, for most users it will take a significant effort to retrain them to the new concepts of the UI. There is a lot of inertia in business, people don't want to have to re-learn how to use the computer just because someone in IT says it's "better". If it was up to most users, they would never change how their PC works. This is such a big leap from what they are used to, I feel a lot of business just wont make the leap until they are either forced to or MS releases Windows 9 with an option to return to a XP/Vista/7 style desktop or a "7 Mode" like 7 has "XP Mode".

Windows 8 will be skipped by large enterprises. Both because companies are just getting around to rolling out Win7 at an appreciable scale, and also because there is absolutely nothing attractive about this iteration to a larger enterprise, unless, I suppose, they are pinning their hopes on brand new, untested Windows 8 tablets that may be discontinued in a couple of years due to lack of sales.

Businesses are going to skip Win8 not just because of the UI changes, but also because they're just getting around to replacing XP with Win7. Nobody's got the time or money to roll out a new OS every 2-3 years, especially if there's additional user training required.

This, a thousand times this. It's essentially the only argument that matters for the discussion. Do the benefits of upgrading warrant the cost of upgrading (licenses, man hours, additional training, if necessary systems certifications) by a large enough degree to justify the move?

UEFI is a red herring here, at least if you're ordering from larger vendors. HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, Dell, and the like will almost certainly be putting Windows 7 keys in their firmware because their larger corporate customers will almost certainly be requiring them at least in the near future. The only question is will Microsoft provide a signed bootloader for Win7, and will the OEMs require their parts vendors to supply signed drivers for Win7? I'm say yes because my guess is that in the end the cost of signing is trivial next to the cost of not getting the sale. You can say what you want about MS trying to force people onto Windows 8, but look at how many times they backpedaled on when they would no longer allow sales of XP on OEM machines, that should say enough right there.

Businesses are going to skip Win8 not just because of the UI changes, but also because they're just getting around to replacing XP with Win7. Nobody's got the time or money to roll out a new OS every 2-3 years, especially if there's additional user training required.

This. We won't be finished our Win7 (and new laptop) deployment until the end of this year. Win8 could be the greatest thing since sliced bread and we wouldn't be migrating to it. I'm not even considering planning another OS migration at least until 2015, when Win7 enters Extended Support.

I'm in the same situation. My enterprise is beginning a Windows 7 migration for the second half of this year. This image, with its multi-million dollar pricetag for planning, project management, application testing, hardware replacement, training, and deployment, has an expected lifecycle of seven years. There is no way this enterprise will consider Windows 8 regardless of its merits, simply because of the cost of the migration.

Even my poor eyesight caught the 'detects that you have a touch screen?' bit.

You seem to be so quick to jump on these negative comments that it appears to be affecting your reading comprehension.

No it's more like I wanted to ignore the heavily retarded ranting to try to figure out how these people "think". You seriously think that "plugging in a touchscreen" should somehow "enable Metro"? That's just hilarious!

What am I missing? How is that different to any other feature that's disabled unless Windows detects hardware that actually supports it?

What am I missing? How is that different to any other feature that's disabled unless Windows detects hardware that actually supports it?

Um, because "Metro" ISN'T A FEATURE! Apart from that little problem, no it's ideal to make the Start Screen, control panel, application store, integrated applications, browser, networking, volume, power options, culture settings etc. etc. behave completely differently based on the addition or removal of a hardware device.

I mean Windows should drop down to a character interface when you pull the mouse out too right?

I've tried WIndows 8 and hate it. The Metro UI is too ... messy. It can get confusing to the end-user especially when they are used to the look of XP, Vista and Win7. It's nice for a tablet or phone, w/o question - but as a primary OS - absolute garbage.

The company I work for won't even consider WIndows 8 yet .... Our hardware won't support the OS, and for good reason. We just started taking over, or replacing, our XP boxes with Windows 7. 8 isn't even worth the money right now.

You tried it for what? 5 minutes? Which release the developer preview from 6 months ago?

I run Win8 on 3 non touch PCs. 1 laptop and 2 desktops, since metro app development can only be done on an OS with metro. The new start screen is a great info hub, and you only see it when you first log in, and then subsequently.... whenever you want to. If you want to spend the entire day in the desktop, you can so long as you don't go into the start screen.. amazing how that works isn't it?

Your hardware won't support the OS? So this is the hardware that is running Windows 7, but it doesn't support Win8? I find that hard to believe. Also considering the fact that Win8 actually has the same sys requirements as Win7, but actually uses less memory, boots faster, and is more optimized, your points seem ill informed.

The only valid point you made is a company just getting off XP is better off going to Win7, since companies with large PC roll outs don't need to be, or should not be using bleeding edge tech, and should be using slightly older, more mature tech. Win8 is going to be a huge success with consumers though.

Um, because "Metro" ISN'T A FEATURE! Apart from that little problem, no it's ideal to make the Start Screen, control panel, application store, integrated applications, browser, networking, volume, power options, culture settings etc. etc. behave completely differently based on the addition or removal of a hardware device.

Are all these explicitly forced into Metroland in Win8? If so, then all the folks who were saying that "you can use Win8 just like Win7, the desktop's still there" weren't being entirely honest.

And if these things are all forced into Metroland then right there is a big reason that businesses won't like it.

I work for a college campus and we are not moving to it for quite a while (at least a year) if at all. If we do move to it, chances are we are going to just disable the metro ui anyways. Don't get me wrong, there are things I love and things that I hate about the metro ui.

Um, because "Metro" ISN'T A FEATURE! Apart from that little problem, no it's ideal to make the Start Screen, control panel, application store, integrated applications, browser, networking, volume, power options, culture settings etc. etc. behave completely differently based on the addition or removal of a hardware device.

kleinma wrote:

If you want to spend the entire day in the desktop, you can so long as you don't go into the start screen.. amazing how that works isn't it?

These two posts seem a bit at odds. Would the honest person please step forward

What are the odds that Microsoft comes to their senses and disables the Metro UI by default unless it detects that you have a touch screen?

Oh good a live one. When you say this what do you imagine it looks like? A big "do you like Metro yes/no" question at the install screen and if you say "no, now get off my lawn" it "disables Metro" which means what?

I think it's entirely reasonable to desire a killswitch for Metro. It serves no logical benefit to desktop users, and I'm sure enterprise users will have a huge desire to make Windows as traditional and familiar as possible. I'm rather surprised at the hostility toward users who merely want to have the option to disable something they'll never use and have no desire to use.

First... "Businesses" is the wrong term for the title. It should be "Enterprises" with "large" perhaps added. A lot of 'business' is done in small or home offices.

Second... "tick-tock" is a good term for Windows releases and the 'tocks' are always about breaking new ground for technologies... and the 'ticks' are the sound of coins hitting the till in Microsoft's bank account.

I don't think it will take too long for there to be lines of tablets with their enhanced docking stations (graphics, storage and wireless devices) that can be used the same way a notebook is put into a docking station... and that large piece of metal under my feet will disappear.

The advantage here is that I can click a corner of the screen and see how my tablet apps are doing... in fact, there are a few that are very useful.

I can see why the 'enterprise guys' are rolling their eyes ... and I agree with most of them when they say that that wouldn't want to upgrade to Win8... suspect that they won't have to... unless marketing forms a lobby and wants the new docking stations for their Win8 tablets